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Introduction 

In October 2015, the Department of Planning & Environment exhibited the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy.  The draft strategy proposes over 30,000 additional dwellings within walking distance of the proposed metro stations between Sydenham and Bankstown.

The Strategy also includes infrastructure to support the proposed growth identified for each centre.​

Council position

Council's position is the Draft Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy cannot be supported at this time due to the significant number of unresolved issues, particularly concerning infrastructure, open space, urban design and funding.

The Draft Strategy is narrowly focussed on delivering housing, without considering the capacity of the existing and proposed infrastructure required to support it.  Critically, the Draft Strategy is inconsistent with the Greater Sydney Commission's Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan and Draft South District Plan.

Prior to finalising the Draft Strategy, Council's submission identifies the need for the Department of Planning and Environment to undertake more detailed studies and analysis to address certain fundamental issues and to review the implementation process.  This additional planning work will enable Council to provide more detailed comments on the Draft Strategy in relation to land uses, building envelopes and infrastructure

Council's submission is comprised of three reports.

Submission to the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy

Attachment A - Council's issues with the proposed infrastructure projects

Attachment B - Community Issues Report

Below is a summary of the content of the submissions.

Submission to the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy

Council's submission identifies the need for the Department of Planning & Environment to undertake more detailed studies and analysis in partnership with Council to address the following fundamental issues prior to finalising the Draft Strategy. Then Draft Strategy must:

• Ensure dwelling growth occurs in sequence with an established and funded infrastructure delivery plan.
• Be coordinated across all levels of government. There are significant inconsistencies between the Draft Strategy and adopted government policy.
• Deliver quality open spaces and 'parks of scale' to support the expected population growth. The only opportunities identified for new open spaces are surplus lands from the Sydney Metro Southwest project, opening school playgrounds to the public, and the Canterbury Racecourse. In many areas, such as Lakemba, Wiley Park and Punchbowl, the Draft Strategy would exacerbate existing open space shortfalls.
• Undertake more detailed transport and traffic analysis for each centre and the corridor as a whole. To date, no detailed analysis has been undertaken apart from Council's investigations along Canterbury Road conducted as part of the Canterbury Road Review.

• Identify appropriate sites for new schools to accommodate the expected growth in students. To date, the Draft Strategy does not identify sites for new schools.
• Identify improvements to hospitals and health services to support the expected population growth. It is inappropriate to leave this infrastructure requirement to a later stage.
• Recognise Bankstown as an emerging health and education precinct.
• Undertake more detailed design analysis for each centre to deliver great places and quality design. It currently proposes transformative change without appropriate consideration of contextual fit, building height transitions, overshadowing and SEPP 65 requirements.
• Consider heritage and character in all areas where change is proposed, not just in Hurlstone Park, Canterbury and Belmore.
• Mandate an Affordable Rental Housing Target of 5% to 10% of new residential floor space consistent with the Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan.
• Ensure the government led masterplan process for the Canterbury Racecourse reflects best practice and that Council is formally part of the planning process.
• Consider the strategic intent of the Canterbury Road Review in relation to the creation of additional open spaces and connections.
• Reflect the 'work in progress' status of the priority precincts (Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore and Lakemba). The decision to show proposed building heights has fuelled intense speculation and created expectations about the outcomes ahead of detailed planning for these centres.

This additional planning work will enable Council to provide more detailed comments on the Draft Strategy in relation to land uses, building envelopes and infrastructure. This additional planning work must guide urban renewal within the corridor including the priority precincts.

Council's submission also seeks to amend the proposed implementation of the Draft Strategy, namely:

• The removal of the proposed Ministerial (117) Direction as it will result in ad hoc planning proposals to implement the Strategy.
• In the case of the priority precincts (Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore and Lakemba), the establishment of a governance structure that ensures the community and councillors have a greater say in the planning process and are given the opportunity to regularly provide direct input into the Project Control Group.

• It is important for the Department of Planning & Environment to commence the planning process without the presumption of any height controls that have been exhibited to date. Requests to prepare planning proposals in the priority precincts should be deferred until the planning process is finalised and a clear policy direction is endorsed.
• In the case of centres outside the priority precincts (Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park and Hurlstone Park), Council should lead the preparation of planning proposals to implement the Draft Strategy. This would enable Council to refine the proposed zoning changes and built form controls at a 'neighbourhood scale' to achieve the broader vision for these centres.

Attachment A - Council's issues with the proposed infrastructure projects

Council and the community have continuously indicated to the State Government that the Draft Strategy will accelerate dwelling growth ahead of new infrastructure, contrary to the directions set by state and local policies.

Council does not support the Draft Strategy's proposed dwelling capacity (35,403 new dwellings by 2036) without upfront planned and budgeted infrastructure support from the State Government.

This attachment reviews each infrastructure provision item and Council's recommended improvements.

Attachment B – Community Issues Report

The Department of Planning & Environment exhibited the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy from 25 June to 3 September 2017.

During this period, Council held drop–in sessions to help residents navigate through the Draft Strategy and to listen to their issues and concerns. This report summarises the issues raised by residents at the drop–in sessions.

This report summarises:

• What residents think about the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban
• Renewal Corridor Strategy
• What residents like about the Draft Strategy
• What residents don't like about the Draft Strategy
• If there anything residents would like to change about the Draft
• Strategy